Bedside blood test can deliver results in under 10 minutes to guide urgent stroke care
Minutes count when a patient with a stroke arrives at a hospital emergency room. Doctors stand ready to treat the patient, but whether medication can dissolve the blood clot depends on what the patient is already taking. Even if a blood sample is rushed to the laboratory, results can take up to an hour to arrive.
When a stroke patient arrives at a hospital emergency room, every minute matters. Treatment hinges on whether medication can dissolve the blood clot, a decision dependent on the patient's existing medications. Current methods require rushing blood samples to the lab, with results arriving up to an hour later. A team from Aarhus University's Department of Chemistry has developed a new bedside blood test that can provide results in under ten minutes.
The device, featuring integrated optical measurement technology, precisely measures drug concentration directly in a blood sample. A drop of untreated blood onto a chip within a small cassette yields an accurate reading without the need for laboratory centrifugation or manual processing. This rapid analysis occurs automatically inside the cassette.
The concept stemmed from research into DNA nanotechnology, which enabled the creation of highly accurate sensors and biological nanorobots capable of delivering medication to diseased cells. The breakthrough involved developing a biochemical test that could identify specific drug molecules and emit an optical signal upon detection. Researchers focused on finding areas where immediate test results are crucial, such as determining if a stroke patient is taking blood thinners.
If a patient with high levels of blood thinners receives clot-busting medication, there is a risk of triggering life-threatening brain hemorrhages. The new technology addresses this by separating blood cells inside the cassette using a filter, along with specific antibodies and optical measurement to display the exact drug concentration. The method has been tested on samples from Danish and international hospitals, yielding results identical to traditional lab instruments but much faster.
The compact device costs between DKK 30,000 and 50,000, making it more accessible than expensive laboratory instruments. Initially focused on blood thinners, the technology can also measure concentrations of other critical substances, including immunosuppressive drugs and antibiotics. In the future, patients with chronic illnesses or those requiring critical medication could even take the test at home and send data directly to their doctor.
The goal now is to bring the technology into practical use to improve patient outcomes. Co-founded by Kurt Vesterager Gothelf, Line D. F. Nielsen, and Malthe Hansen-Bruhn, the spinout company MedicQuant is further developing and manufacturing the technology. The company anticipates the technology will be market-ready within three years, though the primary challenge lies in adapting clinical workflows in the healthcare system.
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